WATER TURBINES steadily charge 12, 24, or 48 volt batteries, working 24 hours a day every day. Compare this with solar modules in sunshine for at best, 6 full-power hours a day, and that's just on sunny days. A hydro generator producing 10 amperes around the clock matches the usable power generated by over 40 amps of solar modules. So cost is a lot lower with hydro. The power system itself is the same as solar, except only diversion type charge controls can be used with hydro. Pelton wheel generators use a small volume of water raised to high pressure by running downhill in a penstock (pipeline). Pressurized water shoots from nozzles to strike and spin a cupped wheel on an alternator. Other types of wheels and propellers handle water sites with less pressure (head) and more flow volume.
PERFORMANCE DEPENDS ON THE SITE more than on the cost. Greater water pressure at the nozzle, produced by more head (elevation change top end of pipe to bottom), brings more power. Greater water volume (gallons per minute) onto the wheel also brings more power. Sites with higher head are most desirable because they need less water, smaller pipe, fewer nozzles, cost less to install, and fare better in low water years.
PERFORMANCE DEPENDS ON THE SITE more than on the cost. Greater water pressure at the nozzle, produced by more head (elevation change top end of pipe to bottom), brings more power. Greater water volume (gallons per minute) onto the wheel also brings more power. Sites with higher head are most desirable because they need less water, smaller pipe, fewer nozzles, cost less to install, and fare better in low water years.
When exploring small-scale renewable energy sources, the most commonly considered techniques are wind and solar generators. Depending on several factors, a far better option or addition may be a small hydroelectric system, or “microhydro”. Microhydro utilizes the energy of moving water to generate electricity. This is not to be confused with large scale hydro dam projects. A proper install has no negative effects on the local stream, simply diverting a portion of the available water and then returning that water back to the stream. If your location has a source of running water, you simply must investigate its potential as a source of electricity. Water power can produce between 10 and 100 times more power than solar or wind for the same capital investment. Since water flows day and night, a micro hydro system requires far less battery storage than other technologies. Even if the stream is far away, it may still be viable. Distances of several kilometers can be covered by utilizing high voltage generators
Water Power
Hydro electric
Green Energy Options
79 Emerald Street
Keene, NH 03431
(603) 358-3444
79 Emerald Street
Keene, NH 03431
(603) 358-3444
